Caesars Joins Battle Against Missouri Sports Betting Ballot Initiative

Opponents of sports betting in the Show-Me State are reported to have a surprising new ally. 

A Missouri Ethics Commission filing last week unveiled that Caesars Entertainment has donated $4 million to the fight against online sports betting in Missouri. The money was donated to The Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA), a group that formed to oppose the current ballot initiative that would legalize online sports betting.

Caesars has not released an official statement explaining why it is backing the group, but a few reports have suggested it has to do with the number of sportsbook skins casinos would be allowed to have. 

Caesars also has a large casino presence in the state, giving them more reason to oppose the legalization of sports betting. The industry would hive bettors some incentive to just stay home and wager on sports instead of going to a Caesars location to play table games and slots. Legalization would also allow industry giants FanDuel and DraftKings into the market, meaning bettors staying home wouldn’t necessarily use the Caesars online sportsbook.

Some industry experts were expecting the move from Caesars because of the above reasons, but the company will still need to release a statement explaining their decision.

Who is Behind MADOGA?

On paper, a bipartisan group of politcal consultants and lawyers started MADOGA without any links to sports betting. Many believe other forces are likely behind the new PAC, as well as the recent legal challenge against the ballot initiative.

We know that the state’s casinos, including Caesars, are against the legalization of sports betting. They have been warning bettors that out-of-state operators would dominate the market. and use loopholes to avoid paying their fare share in taxes. 

There is also State Senator Denny Hoskins, who was responsible for blocking previous sports betting bills. Hoskins has been pushing for video lottery terminals (VLT) to be included in any bill legalizing sports betting, but too many legislatures believe the games to be a more dangerous form of gambling. The recent ballot initiative was started to circumvent Hoskins’ legislative road block, making it likely that he could silently be involved with MADOGA.